Most of the fruit harvested from the initiative is donated to local food banks
“The biggest motivation is that I really don’t like waste.” In August 2009, having recently quit his job and in need of “something useful” to do with the spare time he suddenly had, Kilburn resident Michael Stuart started an initiative to reduce the amount of fruit that was being left to rot in peoples private gardens.
Having grown up blackberry picking in Stanmore, 50 years later Mr Stuart heads a group that last year harvested around three tonnes of apples, pears, and plums from gardens across Kilburn, which may otherwise have been left to “rot on lawns, patios and pavements”.
Mr Stuart said: “I was initially motivated by reducing waste and the sense of community but soon added connecting people with food to the group’s aims. People were asking if it was safe to eat apples growing on their own fruit trees.
“They were buying supermarket apples while apples fell on the ground in their gardens! They didn’t notice when the apples ripened. We help people make that connection and slightly loosen the grip of supermarkets.”
A harvest takes around an hour and yields about 40kg, according to Mr Stuart, with a haul of 200kg “in our best garden”. The process involves five people holding a tarpaulin under the tree and taking it in turn to use a telescopic pole with a hook to shake a branch to release the fruit.
Alongside donating the vast majority of the harvest to 12 local food banks, the group – Kensal to Kilburn Fruit Harvesters – has the fruit turned into jams, produced by Parlour restaurant in Kensal Green, and juices, which they sell at Queens Park Day – an annual event run by the local residents association.
The money generated from the sales of these products help pay for the insurance, recruiting new pickers, and any equipment needed to carry out the harvest, including ‘picking kits’ for new pick leaders.
As well as in Kilburn, there are also groups either setting up or active in Carshalton, Lewisham, Brockley, Cricklewood, Harlesden, Kingston, Islington, and Haringey – with around 550 pickers and 260 gardens on their mailing list. Mr Stuart now wants to spread his idea across London and is looking for people who want to start an independent group to harvest fruit in their neighbourhood.
He said: “It’s an intense six week season in August and September, with a team of a harvest co-ordinator and 10 pick leaders who scout for trees and lead fruit picks. Then it goes quiet for ten months of the year. We’re all volunteers and enjoy meeting like-minded people who are either into fresh food, or against waste – or both.”
Last year saw the “best year ever” for the initiative, with the groups saving more than 3,000kg of fruit in 65 harvests – with seven “bumper harvests” yielding more than 100kg of produce. They harvested 32 gardens that hadn’t been visited before, where they picked a range of different fruits, including apples, pears, plums, cherries, figs, grapes and mulberries.
An additional six people also became pick leaders in 2025, which helped “triple the number of harvests and quadruple the amount of fruit” compared with 2024. Mr Stuart described last year’s achievements as “unprecedented” and wants to build on this success in 2026’s harvest.
London National Park City – a grassroots movement aiming to make London “greener, healthier, and wilder” – has so far awarded 10 fruit harvesting grants totalling just over £3,000, whilst two groups were able to get local authority funding. totalling £2,120 through Brent Council’s Together Towards Zero grant programme.
A spokesperson for Brent Council said: We are pleased to support community-led projects that take practical action on climate change while building stronger, more connected communities. Through Round 4 of the Together Towards Zero grant programme, Kensal to Kilburn Fruit Harvesters received £2,120, enabling the group to deliver real benefits for local people.
“By harvesting surplus fruit that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it through local food banks and charities, the initiative helps reduce food waste, supports food security, and brings communities together. It is a great example of how local residents can make a positive difference for both people and the environment through practical, grassroots action.
“The grant awarded to Kensal to Kilburn Fruit Harvesters has helped establish a volunteer-led initiative that promotes sustainable behaviours and provides opportunities for residents to get involved in climate action in a practical way. The funding supports the coordination, equipment and community engagement needed to make this work possible, creating environmental and social benefits that extend beyond the initial investment and continue after the grant period has ended.”
Stay in the loop with the latest North London news. Sign up to our MyNorthLondon newsletter HERE for daily updates and more.
